Apartment living is one of the more memorable experiences associated with the Rome Program. Accommodations are very different in most cases from what students are familiar with in Ames. Apartments in Rome are provided by the La Magia Institute, a nonprofit organization that provides administrative support, teaching space and apartments to American study abroad programs. Apartments are typically clustered in several areas in the historic center of the city, usually within a reasonable walking distance of the studio.

 

Generally, all contracted apartments come supplied with dishes, cooking equipment, towels and linens. It should be noted that not all of the apartments have Internet access, and the College of Design can't request that it be installed. Rent is calculated in dollars and doesn't vary much from apartment to apartment. All housing costs in this arrangement, including rent and a utility/damage deposit, are charged to your U-bill. Following the end of the semester, utility and damage (if any) costs are added up and subtracted from the deposit, with the remainder being credited back to students' U-bills.

 

Students are provided with information about their housing options typically midway through the semester prior to the program. Students are encouraged to sign up individually or in roommate groups for more than one selection, ranking their preferences. Apartments will not be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, but rather on the basis of declared preferences, as much as possible. Parents and students should keep in mind that the apartments available in this option are a limited set, and may not be able to accommodate all the roommate combinations. Roommate groups will have to match themselves with what is available. Typically apartments accommodate four or six students, but some can house as many as 10 or 12. Flexibility on everyone's part will make the distribution process much more smooth and fair.

 

Upon arrival, students will need to go to the La Magia Institute housing office to pick up their apartment keys. Click here for a map showing the location of the housing office.